Lions linked to CB Jermod McCoy, another injured NFL draft prospect

Brad Holmes hasn't shied away from taking players coming serious injuries in the NFL draft.

Holmes, the Detroit Lions general manager, traded up for Jameson Williams in 2022 less than four months after Williams tore the ACL in his left knee in his final college game, and Holmes spent Day 2 picks on players such as Levi Onwuzurike, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Hendon Hooker despite their injury histories in college.

Holmes said he weighs injuries players are currently recovering from on a case-by-case basis, and does it in conjunction with ones they've dealt with in the past.

"Take Jamo," Holmes said in his pre-draft press conference Monday, April 13 in Allen Park. "That was really his first major injury. We felt pretty good about what the injury was and felt pretty good about with where medical advancements are at this point, we felt pretty good about that.

"Same thing with Hendon. Hendon, I don’t think his injury was the reason why it didn’t work out that way. But yeah, you just got to look at everything. It’s just, you’ve just got to feel good about it, but it’s case-by-case for sure.”

Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy missed the 2025 season with a torn ACL.

Hooker, like Williams, was coming off a torn ACL when the Lions took him in the third round of the 2023 draft, and NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah linked the Lions to another talented player coming off a significant knee injury in a conference call Tuesday.

Tennessee's Jermod McCoy is widely considered one of the top two cornerbacks in this year's draft and could be available when the Lions are on the clock with their first-round pick No. 17 overall next week.

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McCoy missed all of the 2025 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee in an offseason workout.

He had four interceptions and nine pass breakups in his one season on the field at Tennessee in 2024, when he was a second-team all-SEC pick by the conference's coaches, and had two interceptions and seven PBUs in five starts as a true freshman at Oregon State.

If he's available at No. 17, Jeremiah said McCoy will present the Lions, who also have pressing needs at offensive tackle and defensive end, with a "fascinating" choice.

Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Jermod McCoy takes down Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Mario Craver during the second half at Neyland Stadium, Nov. 9, 2024.

"Jermod McCoy has top-10 talent," Jeremiah said. "Like, it’s legit. All his tape [in 2024] is as good as anything you’ll see in this draft and he plays big, he’s explosive."

In some ways, McCoy's case as a prospect is similar to the one the Lions gambled on with Williams in 2022. Both are freakish playmakers who might have been top-10 picks − LSU's Mansoor Delane is the other top cornerback in this year's draft − if not for their injuries and the Lions can take a patient getting the player back on the field.

Williams barely played as a rookie in 2022, when he had one catch in six games. And while McCoy is much further along in his rehab − The Ringer draft analyst Todd McShay wrote on the social media site X that McCoy was cleared during last season but chose to get ready for the draft instead − the Lions don't necessarily need him to start Day 1.

The Lions return starting cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold, though Arnold's future remains clouded after he was connected to a kidnapping and robbery case in Florida. Arnold has denied involvement in the case through his attorney and has not been charged with a crime. Six people are currently awaiting trial in the case, including several of his associates.

Holmes declined to say Monday how Arnold's situation will factor into his draft philosophy.

McCoy reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in the 4.38-second range at his pro day, though Jeremiah said his change of direction work was "not totally there yet."

"So how much risk is associated with that?" Jeremiah said. "Does that cause him to slide or fall? It’s a little bit of a gamble there with the health situation but, man, if you hit on that one, if he’s there and you pull the trigger and hit on him, man, you’ve got a dynamic difference maker."

Georgia offensive lineman Monroe Freeling runs during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium, March 1, 2026 in Indianapolis.

If the Lions don't want to pick McCoy or he doesn't make it to 17, Jeremiah said two offensive tackle prospects − Georgia's Monroe Freeling and Alabama's Kadyn Proctor − have been connected to the Lions by people across the NFL.

Freeling is a raw but high-upside prospect who started 17 games at Georgia and projects as a left tackle in the NFL. Proctor is a three-year starter at left tackle who dealt with weight problems at Alabama. He weighed in at a slimmed-down 352 pounds at the combine and could play either tackle spot or inside at guard.

"I don’t know that they’re both there [at 17]," Jeremiah said. "Probably a good chance they’re both not there, but I think there’s a good chance one of them is, so those two players would make some sense for them with where they’re picking."

Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions linked to injured NFL draft prospect Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy